Third win of season and GT championship lead for No. 3 Compuware Corvette

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 21, 2013) – Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia scored their second straight victory in the American Le Mans Series’ GT class on Saturday, winning the eighth round of the championship at Circuit of The Americas. Garcia led the final 58 minutes in his No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R under intense pressure to win by less than a second.

Their third victory of the season moved Garcia and Magnussen into the lead of the ALMS GT drivers’ championship with two rounds remaining. The result bolstered Chevrolet’s lead in the manufacturer standings and Corvette Racing’s advantage in the team championship.

“The ALMS GT class is ultra-competitive,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Corvette Racing’s teamwork was the key element to put us in the best positions to race for a win today. Preparation, strategy, flawless pit stops and incredible driving by Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia delivered a fifth win for Corvette Racing this season. The championship points standings remain very tight. Our focus remains on prep for the final two races of the season.”

Saturday’s race will air on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner. Their No. 4 Corvette lost its transmission just shy of the one-hour mark. The duo entered the weekend with the drivers’ championship lead.

Milner started from third but moved to lead class lead at the start the race as both Corvettes got around the pole-sitting BMW before Turn 1. Magnussen dropped back to third but moved up two positions and into the lead 10 minutes later when the then-race leading Viper went wide off track and forced Milner to back off slightly.

Two stellar pit stops and an incredible strategic call on the team’s first stop put Garcia in the lead for good with a little less than an hour remaining. The Spaniard fended off multiple charges from Dirk Muller by timing the race traffic just right. He was able to put slower cars between himself and his competitors on numerous occasions to build gaps from as little as 0.2 seconds to 1.5 and 2 seconds at a time.

In the No. 4 Corvette, Milner reported having issues shifting up to third gear 11 minutes in, and the problem grew worse when the car lost drive in fourth gear at the 57-minute mark. It stopped halfway around the circuit and could not continue.

“It was great to see the Corvette Racing team salute our Corvette customers in the Corvette Corral directly across from our pit location with a win,” Campbell said. “We race to improve the production car, and we race for our Corvette owners.”

The next race for Corvette Racing is the Oak Tree Grand Prix on Saturday, Oct. 5 from Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Va. The race will air on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 6 with live coverage at 2 p.m. ET, Oct. 5 on ESPN3.

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We made the right decision with strategy. We saw the No. 55 BMW stop early before because of traffic, and that’s why our team decided to pit me early as well (on the last stop). I knew we were pitting before everyone else and I had to be really focused and aggressive on my out-lap on new tires. That’s what I think gave us the lead. From that point, traffic played a huge role in this race. From Turn 3 to Turn 8, no one could pass. I’m sure all the prototypes were getting mad behind us, and we were getting mad at the GT Challenge cars. So basically we needed to stay in line and stay aggressive. There was a point with 30 minutes to go where Dirk (Muller) right on my bumper. I thought it was going to be a really long finish with 30 minutes of holding him back. There was no traffic at that point, but when I did see traffic I knew that was my only opportunity. I was really aggressive and could build a gap over him. In the end, it’s second victory in a row for us and the GT championship lead. I’m very happy.”

(Have you driven in a stint that intense?) “I have but I was chasing people for a long time. Last year, we were there in four or five races in a row where we couldn’t make the winning pass. The team did a great job on strategy by stopping Jan earlier so the fuel fill was a little shorter. We know that from being in the lead, other cars have to work harder to pass you. “

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“The start was mayhem. A lot of cars were trying to get into turns 1 and 2. I went three-wide with a prototype and my teammate and didn’t win anything. I lost a spot to the other Corvette. When things got settled, we were struggling to get by the Prototype Challenge cars, which at that point hadn’t gotten up to speed. It was really hard to get back into a rhythm and go for it from there. I was able to just about hang on to one of the Vipers, which was extremely fast at the beginning. Once we pitted, I handed over to Antonio. Once all the stops were over, we were in the lead. After that, Antonio did a fantastic job with all the pressure he faced.”

(How tough was it to watch the finish?) “It’s nerve-wracking and frustrating to watch someone else be under the kind of pressure Antonio was under. I know exactly what he was going through, and you’re honestly exploding inside. I looked at the clock with 17 minutes left and watched a lot of racing. Then I looked up again and the clock said 16 minutes! That clock was counting down very slowly. You feel pretty helpless there watching the monitor. I think what makes you so nervous when you’re watching the race is that you get all the information – all the lap times, who is going fast and who isn’t, and all the TV cameras. It was no good!”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It was an extremely disappointing day for the No. 4 car. We were encouraged by Friday’s qualifying performance, and Tommy’s strong start to the lead put us in an ideal position. But in racing, bad luck can strike at any time and it hit us today in a most inopportune time. We still have a lot to race for during the final two rounds to help Chevrolet and Corvette Racing secure another ALMS championship. Congratulations to Antonio, Jan and the No. 3 team on a phenomenal victory in an absolutely stunning race.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It’s a disappointing day. A gremlin that was around all weekend finally bit hard in the race, which is unfortunate. It doesn’t kill our drivers’ championship hopes but it puts a big damper on them. It’s great for the No. 3 guys. It’s hard to be too mad because our teammates are out front, doing well and have won two in a row. So that’s good for them. This is how a two-car team should be. We have two very good teams and two very good cars. The weekend started pretty poorly in general. But we had a great qualifying effort, which was a whole team effort. We had great cars in the race, obviously. All credit to Corvette Racing.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“The drive that Antonio put on the last hour-and-a-half of that race was as strong an effort as I’ve seen in my time in the ALMS. It was just an incredible drive – precision, skill, being cool under fire – that demonstrates all the things we represent at Corvette Racing. Antonio Garcia put on an awesome show for the fans today. If you didn’t enjoy this one, nothing will make you happy.”

DOUG LOUTH, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, CORVETTE RACING

“Kyle Millay in the No. 3 car and Chuck Houghton on the No. 4 did a phenomenal job with the car setups. Facing a new track with a different mix of segment types than we usually see and the hottest track temps we’ve had in years, they came up with a package relatively unusual for us that obviously had great long-run pace and consistency. Jan and Antonio were spot on; Antonio’s drive to work traffic and hold off the BMW is one of the best I’ve ever watched. And of course the No. 3 crew had two perfect pit stops. As close as the finish was, anything less than perfect would have put us mid-pack. The No. 4 car had a tough day, but the guys were just as successful getting their car tuned for the hot conditions as Tommy showed early in the race.”

Oak Tree Grand Prix (all times ET)

• • GT Testing: 3:30-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3
• • Practice 1: 10:25 a.m., Friday, Oct. 4
• • Practice 2: 2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4
• • GT Qualifying: 4:05 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4
• • Warmup: 9:35 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 5
• • Race: 2:15 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5

VIR: Watch It!

Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 6 (all times ET)

• • Qualifying: Live – 3:25 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4 (ESPN3)
• • Race (Web): Live – 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5 (ESPN3)
• • Race (TV): 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 6 (ESPN2)

ALMS GT Championship Standings (Unofficial)

Driver Standings

1. 1. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 112
2. 2. Dirk Muller – 99
3. 3. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 94
4. 4. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 89
5. 5. Bill Auberlen – 74

Team Standings

1. 1. Corvette Racing – 148
2. 2. BMW Team RLL – 110
3. 3. SRT Motorsports – 105
4. 4. Paul Miller Racing – 44
5. 5. Risi Competizione – 36

Manufacturer Standings

1. 1. Chevrolet – 151
2. 2. BMW – 124
3. 3. SRT – 115
4. 4. Ferrari – 89
5. 5. Porsche – 79

Team makes massive gains from practice to qualifying on damp day in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 20, 2013) – Corvette Racing didn’t let heavy rains and an unfamiliar track deter its efforts in qualifying Friday for the inaugural American Le Mans Series race at Circuit of The Americas. The two Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.Rs earned the second- and third-place starting spots in the GT field for Saturday’s two-hour, 45-minute race.

ESPN2 will air at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday with live coverage available on ESPN3 beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette qualified on the outside of the GT front row with a lap of 2:17.442 (89.056 mph) around the 3.4-mile, 20-turn layout. The Spaniard, who drives with Jan Magnussen, set his best time on his final lap to overtake teammate Oliver Gavin for the second spot.

Gavin posted a best lap of 2:17.594 (88.957 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette. The Englishman and seatmate Tommy Milner come to Circuit of the Americas with a two-point lead in the GT drivers’ standings as they try to repeat as class champions. Garcia and Magnussen are second in the championship and sit just two points back.

In the manufacturer standings, Chevrolet leads BMW by 20 points. Corvette Racing also heads the team championship with three rounds left in the season.

Friday’s qualifying effort saw a remarkable turnaround for the two Corvettes. After placing fourth and seventh in the day’s first practice and fifth and eighth in the second session, team and Michelin tire engineers developed a sound strategy for time trials. The results spoke for themselves. Only Joey Hand qualified faster at 2:17.178 (89.227 mph).

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

International Sports Car Weekend (all times CT)

• • Warmup: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21
• • Race: 3:45 p.m., Saturday Sept. 21

Circuit of The Americas: Watch It!

Saturday, Sept. 21-Sunday, Sept. 22 (all times ET)

• • Race (Web): Live – 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 (ESPN3)
• • Race (TV): 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22 (ESPN2)

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“We know this track appeared to be very aggressive on tires. So over 15 minutes you only have two or three shots at a good lap. My very first lap, the balance wasn’t quite there. So I knew where to push on my second run. I put together a very, very nice lap. It is great to have Corvette Racing in P2 and P3, especially after how the last session went. We knew the performance was there but couldn’t quite put it together. But I am very happy. The car was really good.”

(His best lap) “On the very last lap, the tires were giving up on the last three corners. At one point I thought comparing that lap to my previous best that I could go down in the 2:16s but the tires just gave up over the last few corners. Still, it was pretty decent work and happy to be on the first row.”

(Starting second and third) “Being up front is always good. We know anything can happen. In a situation like Baltimore, just being one spot or one row behind where we were would have put us out of the race. You cannot predict that but for sure being on the front row gives you the best shot in the race.”

(The fight with BMW) “We are the meat in the sandwich. For sure, we’ve seeing again that the four strongest cars are from both manufacturers. They will be very strong tomorrow so we will see how it develops. We still don’t know how the weather will be. If it is part of the race, it will come down to the pits and crews again. As I’ve said in the past, Corvette Racing is the best third driver you can have. I’m glad to be in this position.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“This is a big fill-up for us. It’s been a difficult couple of sessions for us, and we didn’t look so good in the rain early on. But we worked away at a plan. (Lead engineer) Chuck (Houghton) and the guys from Michelin worked hard together as well with the No. 3 car and us to put a plan together of how we were going to run the session. We knew that we had to do (the times) early to make it work, and it did. So we’re pleased to be second and third. My strategy after the first timed lap maybe wasn’t as aggressive as Antonio’s in terms of what he did to get the performance back for his (final) timed lap. But he did a fantastic job to get to that time. This is a very solid place for us to start the race tomorrow.”

(On the race outlook) “I think it will be dry and we will just have to see. It’s a little bit of an unknown for all of us being here for the first time – seeing what tire life is like, how cars hang up in the heat and how the race evolves. The track will be washed off today and should rubber up for our race. Balance of the cars may change throughout and how cars react to certain things. Things like tire pressures and different compounds… It will be very busy on top of the timing stand to make sure we’re on top of all that.”

(Adjustments from practice to qualifying) “The biggest change was our approach with the tire, understanding it and how we were going to get the lap time from that tire and which particular wet tire we were going to run. It looked like we made the right choice because we made a nice little jump. I’m pleased with that. I far prefer to start second and third than eighth and ninth.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“We saw earlier in the week the challenge that Circuit of The Americas can present. Those were amplified today with periods of heavy rain and a wet track. The improvements our engineers – both from Corvette Racing and our partners at Michelin – and crew made between practice and qualifying was the stuff of champions. Baltimore proved how critical your starting position can be, and having our Corvettes second and third on the grid gives us a great chance to secure important championship points.”

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

1. 1. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 94
2. 2. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 92
3. 3. Dirk Muller – 86
4. 4. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 81
5. 5. Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 64

Team Standings

1. 1. Corvette Racing – 128
2. 2. BMW Team RLL – 97
3. 3. SRT Motorsports – 89
4. 4. Paul Miller Racing – 42
5. 5. CORE autosport – 32

Manufacturer Standings

1. 1. Chevrolet – 131
2. 2. BMW – 111
3. 3. SRT – 99
4. 4. Ferrari – 79
5. 5. Porsche – 71

‘Flying Dentist’ is oldest living American to race at Le Mans 24 Hours

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 20, 2013) – Through the years, Corvette and Chevrolet have had the honor of racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A number of American sports car achievements have come from Corvette drivers over the years, and those contributions will be front and center during a special ceremony this weekend at Circuit of The Americas.

Friday evening, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the governing body of Le Mans, will honor Dr. Dick Thompson, the oldest living American to race at Le Mans. “The Flying Dentist” won multiple SCCA national championships from the mid-1950s to early-1960s, and Thompson was part of Corvette’s initial journey to Le Mans in 1960 in one of Briggs Cunningham’s three Corvettes.

Cunningham’s trio of cars, plus a fourth entered by Camoradi USA, started a dramatic shift in the perception of Corvette as a global sports car brand. Corvette Racing’s debut of the C5-R at the great race in 2000 added to its rich history. Since that time, Corvette Racing captured seven class victories at Le Mans with the C5-R and C6.R.

As part of this weekend’s tribute, both of Corvette Racing’s Compuware Corvette C6.Rs that race in the American Le Mans Series’ GT class will feature the names of every American driver who has raced at Le Mans in the race’s first 90 years. Included on that list are seven American drivers who drove or currently drive for Corvette Racing.

The ALMS shares the COTA weekend with the FIA World Endurance Championship.

JIM CAMPBELL, CHEVROLET VICE PRESIDENT, PERFORMANCE VEHICLES AND MOTORSPORTS

“We salute and honor all of the American drivers who have competed at Le Mans, including Dr. Dick Thompson for his achievements. He was inducted in the National Corvette Museum’s Hall of Fame in 2000 – a very special honor in the Corvette community. I personally had the opportunity to spend time with Dr. Thompson at the 12 Hours of Sebring a number of years ago, where we sat in the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer. It was extra special because he had actually raced that car.”

PIERRE FILLON, PRESIDENT, AUTOMOBILE CLUB DE L’OUEST

“As part of the ceremonies linked to the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest is pleased to honor the American drivers who have raced at Le Mans through their most senior, Dr. Dick Thompson, a former Corvette driver. An iconic American brand, Corvette’s racing history is tied to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and there could be no more appropriate a manufacturer to carry the names of all the U.S. drivers who have distinguished themselves at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

12-Event Inaugural Season Will Showcase New Series At Premium Venues

 http://www.alms.com/articles/tudor-united-sportscar-championship-schedule-released

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2013) – Continuing its commitment to revolutionize sports car racing in North America, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced a 12-race schedule for the 2014 debut season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship starting with the 52nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26.

“We have created a premium schedule for sports car fans, taking our new championship to some of the best road racing facilities in North America,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “Our event lineup also underscores the cooperative spirit of the merger between the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón (ALMS). The ‘best of both worlds’ approach, our shared guidepost throughout the merger process, is certainly evident when you look at the 2014 schedule.

“We had many interested parties but for 2014, we only considered facilities from our 2013 Rolex Series and ALMS schedules. That was in fairness to our existing track partners, who have been such strong supporters of both series. The first TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season will feature iconic tracks deeply rich in history. We are very proud of this group of 12 facilities which have been selected for the inaugural season.”

Illustrating the post-merger synergy is the fact that the 2014 lineup features four race tracks currently on the Rolex Series schedule, four that are on the current ALMS schedule and four that are on both series’ 2013 slates.

In addition, preseason test sessions have been set for Nov. 16-17 at Sebring International Raceway and Nov. 19-20 at Daytona International Speedway. The test sessions will be open to all four classes of cars that will compete in the new championship: Prototype, Prototype Challenge, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona. Session schedules will be announced in the near future.

The 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule rundown:

• • Jan. 25-26: Daytona International Speedway … The 52nd running of the Rolex 24 will be perhaps the most significant sports car race in the history of North America, as the debut event for the new championship.
• • March 15 Sebring International Raceway … The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh From Florida – North America’s oldest sports car race – will be run for the 62nd time. … For the first time since 1998, the Daytona and Sebring endurance classics will be part of the same series and under the same sanctioning (IMSA). … Previously the ALMS’ premier event.
• • April 12 Long Beach … Longtime ALMS street race again in conjunction with IZOD IndyCar Series. … Prototype and GT Le Mans classes will compete in one of the largest and most important consumer markets (Southern California) for nearly all TUDOR United SportsCar Championship stakeholders.
• • May 4 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca … Historic Monterey, California circuit considered hallowed ground for sports car racing. … On both series’ schedules this season.
• • May 31: Detroit Belle Isle … Also a companion street-race event to IndyCar. … Will feature the Prototype, Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona classes. … The Rolex Series has raced at Detroit the last two years; previously, the ALMS was part of the Detroit weekend. The “Motor City” is home to many of the auto manufacturers participating in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship plus numerous supplier partners.
• • June 29: Watkins Glen International … The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen endurance event in Watkins Glen, New York has been a staple on the Rolex Series schedule. … Event started in 1968 and for many years was part of IMSA’s former Camel GT Series.
• • July 13: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park … Historic Bowmanville, Ontario circuit – currently amid a massive renovation project – is retained from the ALMS schedule.
• • July 25: Indianapolis Motor Speedway … Brickyard Grand Prix will again join the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend for third consecutive year, with Friday-at-dusk finish. … Previous two years was part of Rolex Series schedule.
• • Aug. 10: Road America … Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin track has been on both ALMS and Rolex Series schedules. … Hosted historic event this season when both series raced there on the same weekend.
• • Aug. 24: Virginia International Raceway … Danville, Virginia track has fervent fan following and an ALMS race next month. … Formerly part of the Rolex Series schedule. … Event will have a combined GT Le Mans/GT Daytona race and another race featuring the Prototype Challenge class.
• • Sept. 20: Circuit of The Americas … Spectacular year-old road racing facility in Austin, Texas hosted the Rolex Series in the spring this season and is hosting the ALMS and FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend.
• • Oct. 4: Road Atlanta … The Petit Le Mans, traditional 10-hour or 1,000 mile ALMS season finale at the storied Braselton, Georgia road course. … Event will retain its status as a link with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With three circuits (Long Beach, Detroit Belle Isle and Virginia International Raceway) on the 2014 schedule not having all four TUDOR United SportsCar Championship classes competing, each class (Prototype, Prototype Challenge, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona) will race 11 times next season.

“This is, without a doubt, the best sports car schedule in the history of North America,” said IMSA President and COO Scott Atherton. “When we announced the merger plans last year, we immediately envisioned a dream schedule, one that our industry and, most importantly, our fans would embrace. Although it wasn’t easy, we feel like we have arrived at just that. There were so many options to consider and we could have added more events, but we had to ensure that we didn’t over-tax our industry. So, we stuck to our plan of going with the ‘best of the best’ and capped the lineup at 12 events.

“This lineup will have it all – historic road courses, major market street circuits and two of the most spectacular superspeedways in the world, Daytona and Indy. And it also will have the continent’s new jewel – Circuit of the Americas. Overall, a dream schedule, indeed.”

2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Schedule

Jan 25-26 Daytona International Speedway

Mar 15 Sebring International Raceway

Apr 12 Long Beach Street Circuit

May 4 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

May 31 Detroit Belle Isle

Jun 29 Watkins Glen International

Jul 13 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Jul 25 Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Aug 10 Road America

Aug 24 Virginia International Raceway

Sep 20 Circuit of The Americas

Oct 4 Road Atlanta

DETROIT, (Sept. 17, 2013) -Team Cadillac drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim will be sporting black Cadillac CTS-V race cars for the Pirelli World Challenge GT Final at the Foametix Grand Prix of Houston Oct. 4-6.

Team Cadillac has run 13 of 14 events on the Pirelli World Challenge racing schedule. O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) lies second in GT points with teammate Pilgrim (Boca Raton Fla.) third. Although Team Cadillac has secured the GT Manufacturer Title for 2013, both O’Connell and Pilgrim have a mathematical chance of winning the driver’s championship in the final 50-minute race of the year that will run in the shadow of Reliant Stadium, home to the Houston Texans NFL team.

To commemorate the season and get Team Cadillac enthusiasts involved, Cadillac held a fan pole on their social media sites to vote in favor of four different liveries (black, blue, white, red) for the Houston finale. The black scheme proved to be the favorite. In a tight race between black and blue, each held their own on various social media platforms. Blue won on Instagram and Google+, while slightly trailing black on Twitter. The Facebook fans proved to be too much. However, as black ultimately became the color of choice due to strong support on Facebook. Nearly 10,000 votes were cast through the varying social platforms.

“I think changing the color is a great idea,” Pilgrim said. “I really liked the original car color and actually liked it best when it was all carbon black before we first painted it back in the winter of 2003. I’m totally fine with changing stuff around like helmet designs and car colors. I know a lot of drivers who really don’t like any change at all like this, due to being so superstitious.”

O’Connell is ready to get his black on.

“I think that the black will look great,” O’Connell said. “I love that it was chosen by the fans. Since Cadillac has reentered World Challenge Competition, we’ve gained so many fans and to honor them with this is a great way to say thanks.”

Team Cadillac will travel to Houston, Texas for the Pirelli World Challenge finale Oct. 4-6.

Team Cadillac 2013 Pirelli World Challenge GT Results

Event: St. Petersburg

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 5, 4; 6, 6

Finish: 3, 3; 4, 5

Event: Long Beach

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 5; 7

Finish: 8; 2

Event: Circuit of the America’s

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 1, 1; 4, 4

Finish: 1, 17; 3, 2

Event: Detroit

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 1, 3; 4, 4

Finish: 1, 2; 3, 8

Event: Lime Rock

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 1, 1; 2, 3

Finish: 3, 1; 2, 2

Event: Toronto

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 1; 4

Finish: 1; 2

Event: Mid-Ohio

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim; Taylor

Qualify: 5, 3; 8, 5; 3, 8

Finish: 2, 11; 5, 4; 7, 12

Event: Sonoma

Drivers: O’Connell; Pilgrim

Qualify: 1; 2

Finish: 11;1

Automation Alley recognizes technology leaders at 13th Annual Awards Gala

 www.automationalley.com

TROY, Mich., Sept. 16, 2013 — Automation Alley, Michigan’s largest technology business association, announced the winners of its 13th Annual Awards Gala Friday at The Henry hotel in Dearborn.

Automation Alley’s Annual Awards Gala is the region’s most prestigious event honoring technology organizations and their leaders. The event celebrated the accomplishments and continued growth of the individuals and companies moving Southeast Michigan’s technology economy forward.

This year’s Awards Gala featured remarks by special guests Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

The award winners were selected through a public online vote and exemplify the best among the region’s technology community.

“A renaissance is coming in Southeast Michigan and in the state. As someone who’s been part of the business community here for more than 50 years, I can say that there’s an energy and a confidence in this region driven by an economy on the rebound. At Automation Alley, we believe that energy will continue to grow into something great. Thank you for being a part of it,” said Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers.

The 2013 award winners are:

Automation Alley Member of the Year: Rochelle A. Black, Oakland University

Rochelle A. Black is the vice president for government and community relations at Oakland University. She is also a member of the university president’s administrative cabinet. Rochelle is charged with managing government and community relations activities at the local, state and federal levels. Prior to joining Oakland University, Rochelle served as communications and marketing director for the Michigan Department of Public Health; deputy press secretary for Michigan Governor John Engler; vice president and media director for Bailey, Klepinger, Medrich & Muhlberg; and senior media planner for W.B. Doner Advertising. Rochelle previously served on Automation Alley’s board of directors and chairs the organization’s Government Affairs Committee.

Educational Program of the Year: Central Michigan University New Venture Competition

Over the past three years, more than 250 aspiring entrepreneurs from Central Michigan University (CMU) and Michigan Technological University participated in the CMU New Venture Competition. The New Venture Competition is a forum for identifying, nurturing and showcasing emerging entrepreneurs and their businesses. It provides early-stage, student-led startups with experience, guidance and a platform to launch their venture. The competition awards more than $65,000 in startup capital and in-kind services to get companies off the ground and running. The students learn startup skills, which enable them to differentiate themselves from others through experience and increase their chance of successful business creation.

Entrepreneur of the Year: Bill Coughlin, Ford Global Technologies, LLC

Bill is the president and CEO of Ford Global Technologies, where he is responsible for protecting and leveraging the intellectual property for Ford Motor Company and its subsidiaries worldwide. Bill is also a member of the board of directors for the Intellectual Property Owners Association and an adjunct professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he teaches e-commerce law and trade secret law. Prior to joining Ford, he was the chief intellectual property lawyer for DaimlerChrysler, and prior to joining Chrysler, he was a partner at Harness, Dickey & Pierce.

Global Trader of the Year: Fluxtrol, Inc.

Fluxtrol, Inc. is a global provider of innovative composite materials for magnetic flux control in induction heating systems, induction coil design, commercial electromagnetic computer simulation, technical consulting, cooperative technology development, prototyping and experimental validation. More than 65 percent of the company’s revenue is generated from international sales, and products and services are sold in more than 50 countries. Automation Alley’s trade missions and support services enabled Fluxtrol to generate $4.8 million in export sales, 40 percent of Fluxtrol’s $12 million in total overseas sales. Fluxtrol was founded in 1981 by Robert S. Ruffini. Ruffini is a member of Automation Alley’s International Business Services Advisory Council.

Technology Company of the Year: Pratt Miller Engineering

Pratt Miller Engineering provides innovative engineering solutions for clients in the motorsports, automotive, defense and commercial industries. The company’s robust engineering capabilities include design, modeling and simulation, manufacturing, testing and development. The company differentiates itself among industry leaders by providing complete integrated-solution services and products to customers through the application of sophisticated computer-aided engineering (CAE) and computational design tools, rapid manufacturing technologies and accelerated test and validation methods. The results are the creation of innovative ground vehicle technologies with a high degree of quality, performance, robustness and production readiness in an accelerated time frame that is often unmatched.

The Awards Gala was emceed by master of ceremonies Bill Proctor, former reporter for Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation was the premier sponsor of the Awards Gala. Individual award sponsors included:

• • Clark Hill PLC: Automation Alley Member of the Year
• • Kelly Services, Inc.: Educational Program of the Year
• • Foster Swift Collins & Smith: Entrepreneur of the Year
• • Detroit Regional Chamber: Global Trader of the Year
• • TechTown: Technology Company of the Year

About Automation Alley

Automation Alley is a technology business association driving the growth and image of Southeast Michigan’s economy through a collaborative culture that focuses on workforce and business development initiatives.

Since its founding in 1999, Automation Alley has expanded to include nearly 1,000 businesses, educational institutions and government entities from the city of Detroit and the surrounding eight-county region. Automation Alley promotes regional prosperity through entrepreneurial and exporting assistance, workforce development and technology acceleration.

For additional information, visit

Chevrolet, Corvette bring driver, team and manufacturer championship lead to COTA debut

DETROIT (Sept. 16, 2013) – Corvette Racing’s chase for another American Le Mans Series championship next moves to Texas for the eighth round of the ALMS season. As was the case three weeks ago in Baltimore, Corvette Racing hopes the two biggest stars of the weekend are its two Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.Rs.

The stars at night aren’t the only things big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. The new Circuit of The Americas is the newest and most glamorous permanent road-racing venue in the United States. In its first year of operation, the 20-turn, 3.4-mile Circuit of The Americas has played host to the Formula One United States Grand Prix along with MotoGP and V8 Supercars.

Next up is the International Sports Car Weekend – a combined event with the ALMS and FIA World Endurance Championship. Corvette Racing’s two velocity-yellow Corvette C6.Rs head an ALMS GT class that will garner much of the weekend’s attention during Saturday’s 3:45 p.m. CT race. Viewers around the country can the action live on ESPN3 and then on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Corvette Racing’s stable of four drivers comes to Austin with two victories each on the season. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, defending ALMS GT champions, lead the drivers’ standings with wins at Sebring – with Richard Westbrook – in their No. 4 Compuware Corvette to open the year and another victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia took their first victory together in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette at Laguna Seca. They won the most recent ALMS round at Baltimore to move within two points of Gavin and Milner in the championship.

With four victories, Corvette Racing heads the team standings, and Chevrolet is in control of the manufacturers’ race. There are 64 points available over the remaining three rounds.

This weekend’s race marks the first for the ALMS at Circuit of The Americas. Corvette Racing is one of the few teams that have logged test days at the venue, having spent time there in late 2012. The trip not doubt will prove beneficial as Corvette Racing can spend more time on engineering and strategy rather than establishing a baseline setup once testing starts Tuesday.

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

International Sports Car Weekend (all times CT)

• • Test Session 1: 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17
• • Test Session 2: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19
• • Practice 1: 8 a.m., Friday, Sept. 20
• • Practice 2: 12:40 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20
• • GT Qualifying: 2:10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20
• • Warmup: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21
• • Race: 3:45 p.m., Saturday Sept. 21

Circuit of The Americas: Watch It!

Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22 (all times ET)

• • Qualifying: Live – 2:40 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20 (ESPN3)
• • Race (Web): Live – 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 (ESPN3)
• • Race (TV): 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22 (ESPN2)

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It will be difficult and different. Teams in the ALMS are used to running through the same schedule of events. With new events, the team becomes a bigger part of it. It’s true we had a couple of test days late last year, but in the end we don’t know what to expect. There have been some races there and maybe the track has changed a little bit. Now it’s up to the team to judge what will be the ideal setup to start the weekend and develop a program to approach the race.

(The layout) “If I were running the Formula One season or more of the European season, it would be just another track and similar to many there. I knew from the past a few of the tracks designed by the same person. When you go around COTA, it is a combination of Turkey, Bahrain and Shanghai together. But because we don’t have tracks like this, it’s different and it’s great to have. It is good for everyone. Maybe it takes away a little bit of bravery because of the run-off areas, but I think everyone will be very close because of that. It will be challenging for sure.”

(What type of car should the track favor?) “I’m not sure. It has long sections of medium- and high-speed corners. Maybe Mosport is similar with very long, fast corners, and the Viper seems to be competitive there. For sure, because it’s brand new it will depend on how the teams perform before the race and leading up to the weekend.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Obviously it’s a fantastic facility and really shows that it is a Formula One track. The layout and all the facilities around it are absolutely top-line all the way through. It is interesting for us to go race. There aren’t that many facilities like this in the world, so I’m sure the whole team is looking forward to going there and see what we can do. We had a test there in December and obviously we can’t say how we are going to do. We will have to wait until we get to the weekend to see where we are in terms of the competition. I think with the long straights, we may encounter a little of the same issues as at Road America and Le Mans where our top speed may not be good enough.”

(Finding a line) “The section from Turn 3 to Turn 10 is one long, continuous series of corners. If you mess up one, you will mess up the rest because you are now off-line for the entry to the next one. I can see a lot of scrapping going on there, especially with the prototypes and trying to stop them from passing you in a place that puts you off the line. I can see some issues running different categories but it will be the same for everyone. It is a new track and no one has a lot of experience there. I’m sure everybody will be experimenting with setups to get the most out of the cars.”

(The championship chase): “I’m very happy and surprised that we are where we are. I have to say that after Sebring, we scored zero points which put us 24 behind the No. 4 car. At that point, I thought the championship was over for us. We could try for some wins and make the most of it, but I didn’t think that with three races to go we would be two points back. For us, I don’t know if it changes anything in the way we are going to approach the weekend. What we have been doing is very consistently scoring good points. We’ve won the races we can and scored as many points at races where wins weren’t on the table. That is what we need to keep doing and how we will win this championship.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It is the most recently built big racing facility in the United States and built to Formula One spec. It’s impressive and a great track. It has a number of challenges and a couple of different personalities. From Turn 1 to Turn 10 is all high-speed, long-duration corners. You need a car with a lot of downforce to get through there quickly. Then it goes from there to basically a circuit of very long straightaways and hairpin turns. That’s all about straightline speed and braking. Getting back to the pit area, you’ve got a very long right-hander and then a quick left-hander where you go into another hairpin to the frontstraight. You could run a low-downforce setup or a high-downforce setup and maybe make either work there. We will have to wait and see when the time comes.”

(On last year’s test) “It’s a place where all the drivers when we tested there got quite a thrill from driving. It was a big challenge to figure out different ways of getting around there and different lines you could take going through turns 2, 3, 4 and 5. We were all comparing notes and found out we were doing it all differently. We need to see how that turns out and figure out the fastest way through there before raceday. It should be a great facility to race at.”

(Finding balance) “You’d always err on the side of having a bit more downforce than not. You’re going to sacrifice a little too much on the first part of the track but it’s something the engineers will look at and try to figure out through assimilation. We will take the lead from them.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“The facility is probably the best in the United States. With catering to the F1 crowd, it’s fun for us to go and race on that track. Everything about it is first-class, and it’s a joy to be there. From all the comfort side, it’s all great. As far as the track goes, it’s also a challenging venue and one that’s fun to drive. There is lots and lots of elevation change. From nearly every perspective, it’s a great track. We don’t know how it is going to race yet. We had two LMP cars that ran with us when we tested there last year and got some indication as to what the traffic will be like. There may be some areas where it will be tough to let faster cars go by. But that’s part of the challenge. We have some baseline to go off of, so we’re a little ahead of the game compared to some of our competitors. Hopefully it gives us a little bit of an edge and advantage once the race begins.”

(Preparing for a new track) “With the way the modern F1 tracks are – the ones I’ve driven on, at least – they are wide enough that it allows you to play around with your line and take some unorthodox lines in some cases to find some speed in certain areas. Each of our drivers went through and tried to figure out the fastest way around. What the fastest way is by yourself isn’t always going to be the fastest way with traffic and trying to get by someone. In many places, the track just has one line like the first turn, the exit and the esses. But when you get to the last three-quarters of the track, there are quite a few lines you can take to get through the slow stuff. It allows you to play around with being faster in the first two corners while giving up the exit. It will be a challenge for anyone who hasn’t been there – to figure out what’s best for their car. But also once we get to the race, trying to figure out where we can make passes. It is a big challenge because no one in our class has raced there.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Circuit of the Americas ranks as one of the finest road racing facilities in the world. So to say we are excited to be part of this event would certainly be an understatement. Aside from the formidable 20-turn, 3.4-mile circuit itself, what makes this race even more difficult is the fact that no ALMS teams have raced there, as yet. I think that situation tends to accentuate a team’s engineering capabilities, and I know all our guys are looking forward to demonstrating what they can do. With three races remaining in our quest to repeat as ALMS driver, team and manufacturer champions, it is paramount that we finish strongly here. It should prove to be just another epic ALMS GT battle.”

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

1. 1. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 94
2. 2. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 92
3. 3. Dirk Muller – 86
4. 4. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 81
5. 5. Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 64

Team Standings

1. 1. Corvette Racing – 128
2. 2. BMW Team RLL – 97
3. 3. SRT Motorsports – 89
4. 4. Paul Miller Racing – 42
5. 5. CORE autosport – 32

Manufacturer Standings

1. 1. Chevrolet – 131
2. 2. BMW – 111
3. 3. SRT – 99
4. 4. Ferrari – 79
5. 5. Porsche – 71

Season’s fourth win extends DP championship lead; Said, Curran Corvette 3rd in GT

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 8, 2013) – Wayne Taylor Racing’s Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli continued to show championship form Sunday as they won their second straight race in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Angelelli started from outside the front row, and Taylor put on a dominating display as Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette Daytona Prototype won the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Laguna Seca.

The victory extended the lead of Taylor and Angelelli in the Rolex Series’ DP standings to eight points with one race remaining. Chevrolet also retained its advantage in the class’ engine manufacturer championship, and Wayne Taylor Racing moved to second place and within nine points in the team standings.

Taylor led 72 of the race’s 105 laps. Richard Westbrook in the pole-winning Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP led the first 22 when the yellow flag came out for a full-course caution. Angelelli, running second at the time, pitted and handed over to Taylor, who won the race out of pit lane thanks to quick pit work from the Wayne Taylor Racing crew. Over the next two-plus hours, the young American’s lead grew to nearly a half-minute before late-race caution periods tightened up the field.

He finished 2.692 seconds clear of Scott Pruett, whom Taylor fended off to win at Kansas City in the previous Rolex Series race. IZOD IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon was third and pressured Jordan in the race’s latter half, as well.

“It was definitely a good race,” Taylor said. “Once we got past that first yellow and had a bunch of green-flag running, we pulled a good lead. I was hoping to stay green and use that buffer to my advantage. But once it went yellow, that went away. Having Pruett and Dixon right on you is intense. I was glad to be able to hold them off and get a win for the guys.”

Corvette DPs took three of the top-five places. Unofficially, Chevrolet leads the engine manufacturer standings by 32 points with 35 available in the final race at Lime Rock Park in on Sept. 28.

“Congratulations to Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and everyone at Wayne Taylor Racing on a flawless effort at Laguna Seca,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager, Rolex Sports Car Series. “Not only was this a tremendous victory in today’s race but an important step toward the Daytona Prototype drivers’, team and engine manufacturers’ championship. The competitive nature of the DP class makes today’s effort even more impressive. This is a great day but no one at Team Chevy will let up with one race remaining.”

In GT, Marsh Racing’s Corvette of Boris Said and Eric Curran placed third after starting second in class. The result matched their season-best at Barber Motorsports Park in the spring, and Curran led for 10 laps late Sunday. Andy Lally and John Potter were the winners.

Stevenson Motorsports’ Robin Liddell and John Edwards placed seventh in their No. 57 Camaro GT.R and stand third in the class drivers’ championship – 13 points behind leaders Lally and Potter.

Earlier in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Matt Bell went from fifth to second in the final four minutes in Stevenson Motorsports’ No. 9 Camaro GS.R. Bell and Edwards were runners-up to Spencer Pumpelly and Jim Norman in GS and extended the class championship to the season finale at Lime Rock Park.

ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES QUOTES

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DP

(Did lessons from holding off Pruett at Kansas help today?) “It definitely helped a lot. But guys in GT also are great drivers. So in my career in GT, I’ve learned a lot from those guys and how to hold them off. Having Pruett on me for an hour-and-a-half (at Kansas) was intense and having Dixon on me here was another good experience. I’m glad to have that one in my book and move on.”

MAX ANGELELLI, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DP

“Our team is just the best in my opinion. Jordan, as usual, delivered. He always has this year. I’m very proud of him. He did a fantastic job – was very strong, very fast and made no mistakes. This is the way to win championships.”

WAYNE TAYLOR, OWNER, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING CORVETTE DP

“I can’t even talk. The team was flawless. Max did a great start. Everyone did a great job. These boys never cease to amaze me. I’m just so proud of them all.”

ERIC CURRAN, NO. 31 MARSH RACING CORVETTE

“We’ve always been strong here. Today was just a great day. We had a strong car and good pit stops; on the last one, we kind of got hung up on a lug nut (during a tire change). We had a strong car overall and had a car that could have won today but we will take third place and a podium finish. We’ve struggled the last couple races so it’s really good for the team to get some results and have such a strong finish. I’m really happy for all these guys at Marsh Racing. All their efforts and hard work that they’ve put into this program is really paying off now. I couldn’t be happier for them. It’s a good result beginning of a big future for us looking toward our DP program.”

CONTINENTAL SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE QUOTES

JOHN EDWARDS, NO. 9 STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GS.R

“It really wasn’t all that crazy of a race until the last couple of laps when people started getting desperate, but Matt kept his head on straight and made a great move around the outside of (Joey) Atterbury.”

(On Bell’s late pass) “He said he saw Atterbury getting loose and tried the outside and since Atterbury had to pinch it, Matt was able to get the run. I have to say that I never thought that would work when I saw him try it on the outside and we were all on the intercom going, ‘Oh that’s not going to work, that’s not going to work!’ and then it worked.

“At the same time (Bill) Auberlen fell out so we inherited second and then there was mayhem behind us. This Camaro is pretty beat up at the end of this race, but I think it’s actually put together better than it was at the end of last year’s race here. We’ll take the points, and I think we’re looking pretty secure here for second in the championship.”

MATT BELL, NO. 9 STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GS.R

“This wasn’t the car it’s been here – actually the last two years it hasn’t been the best car here that we could have had, but really (the team) kept making decisions to make it more drivable when the tires were burning off of it. Everybody was having the same issues. I kept seeing the No. 51 car in front of me get loose in braking zones so I tried the outside and he kind of pinched over and I was braking in the dirt, but it all worked out. We still kind of willed ourselves into that because there were a lot of people spinning all over the place. Maybe I caused that, I don’t know, but it worked. I want to thank all the Stevenson guys. They worked really hard.”

MIKE JOHNSON, TEAM MANAGER, NO. 9 STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS, CAMARO GS.R

“It was just another crazy race. Our whole goal was to stay with the No. 55. We had some really good pit stops. We made a really good call on the dive in which got us some track position. Matt fought hard with that No. 15 car for a long time. We just did what we had to do, which was stay with the No. 55 car, not do anything silly. I guess technically we still have a shot at the championship, but our goal was really just to finish out this season on a high note. This was probably one of the most fun second places we’ve had, so we’re really happy right now.”

NEXT EVENT DETAILS

GRAND-AM Championship Weekend – Rolex Sports Car Series

Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn.

• • Qualifying: 9 a.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 28
• • Race: 1:35 p.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 28
• • Duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
• • TV: FOX Sports 2 – Live

GRAND-AM Championship Weekend – Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (GS Class)

• • Qualifying: 1:55 p.m. ET, Friday, Sept. 27
• • Race: 9:50 a.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 28
• • Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• • TV: FOX Sports 1 – 5 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 6

Season’s second victory for No. 3 Corvette duo in wild street race

BALTIMORE (Aug. 31, 2013) – Corvette Racing scored a 1-2 class finish today in one of the wildest and unpredictable sports car races in memory at the Grand Prix of Baltimore and the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won for the second time this season in the ALMS’ GT class driving their No. 3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette C6.R. Defending ALMS GT champions Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner were runners-up for the second consecutive season on the Streets of Baltimore in the No. 4 Corvette.

Magnussen moved from third in class to first – and around Milner – on a restart with a little less than 20 minutes to go. The 1-2 finish was the team’s first since last year’s Laguna Seca round. It also increased Chevrolet’s lead in the GT manufacturer championship, as well as Corvette Racing’s margin in the team standings.

Garcia and Magnussen moved up to second in the drivers’ championship and sit just two points behind Gavin and Milner with three rounds left in the season.

“Congratulations to the Corvette C6.R drivers and crews on their 1-2 class finish in the ALMS GT class in Baltimore,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet US Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Both teams demonstrated exceptional driving, quick pit work and tremendous perseverance. Oliver Gavin and Antonio Garcia did a terrific job of adapting to intense, ever-changing racing conditions. And finally it was great to see Jan Magnussen and Tommy Milner drive to the front after the final restart.

“Today’s Corvette Racing results were important for manufacturer, driver and team standings,” Campbell added. “However our focus remains on the three final races in the ultra competitive GT class.”

ABC’s 1 p.m. ET Sunday broadcast of the race will be one to see. The race featured a nearly one-hour, red-flag period after a massive crash blocked the circuit immediately following the drop of the green flag. The race length was shortened from two hours to approximately 70 minutes, and both Corvettes were involved in a slight incident on the subsequent restart. The drama continued for Garcia, who lost radio communication with the Corvette Racing crew and did not hear the call to pit just 12 minutes after the restart. He made an evasive maneuver and spun 180 degrees to make the pit entry at the very last minute.

Milner rejoined the race in third place and Magnussen fourth. Milner chased down Maxime Martin’s BMW and moved to second with 41 minutes left, and Magnussen followed suit one lap later. The race’s fourth and final caution period led to Magnussen’s move on Milner and another BMW going into Turn 1.

Corvette Racing returns to action at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, for the eighth round of the ALMS championship. The race, set for 3:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 21, will air Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy media site for editorial use only.

Circuit of The Americas (all times CT)

• • Test Session 1: 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17
• • Test Session 2: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19
• • Practice 1: 8 a.m., Friday, Sept. 20
• • Practice 2: 12:40 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20
• • GT Qualifying: 2:10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20
• • Warmup: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21
• • Race: 3:45 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 31

Circuit of The Americas: Watch It!

Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22 (all times ET)

• • Qualifying: Live – 2:40 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20 (ESPN3)
• • Race (Web): Live – 3:45 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 (ESPN3)
• • Race (TV): 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22 (ESPN2)

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It was one of those situations you don’t like. We had just started to accelerate and could avoid people. But those that were three or four cars behind me couldn’t do anything at all. The situation is that no one practiced that line (around the curbing) before the start. So you don’t know how much you will jump (over the rail line). You have the chicane when we are racing to slow us down but not at the start. We are going straight. Maybe that is what caught people on the start when they went to power and jumped more than they thought. On the inside, the jump is heavier.

“I was on the lucky line because I just followed the car in front of me and it looked like it was the right one. After we crossed the rail line, I started to see people spin around. I tried to find my spot and carry on. Afterwards when I saw on TV what happened, that was not really good for the fans for sure. At that point, the race lost what looked like half of the cars.”

Loss of radio communication before the pit stop: “I got the call that when the pits were open, we were coming in. I had no other radio communication afterward. When I saw a Ferrari that was a lap down pitting, I didn’t know if it was my turn. If it was the BMW or maybe someone else pitting then I would follow. But as soon as I saw Olly (Gavin) pitting, I did a 180-degree turn to get into the pitlane.

“The main thing is that there was no communication. I started the race thinking it was a two-hour race, and then following the caution I was told we were doing a pit stop and a driver change. That’s when the radio went off completely. As soon as I saw the cars following me go into the pit, I decided I needed to go in too.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It was a really weird race – a sprint race with really no pit stops. There was one in the beginning once we restarted the race but everyone had the driving time limits to figure out. We got a little bit messed up in the pit stop because of a radio failure so there was no way to tell Antonio that the pits were open. It was impossible for him to know if it was all cars, just P cars or just GT cars. He made the right decision. He stopped, spun it around and only lost a couple of spots when we could have lost them all. It was good thinking and reaction on his part. After that, it was a matter of going as hard as we could. We didn’t have to worry about tires or fuel. We just needed to go.”

Pass for the lead: “I was trying to pass one of the BMWs, and he got balked by someone. I had to get around and in front so I could defend and not give him the position back. I got a little off-line and locked up the inside-front a little and the car shoved me to the inside of Tommy. It wasn’t a planned move but when I got halfway there, I thought ‘To hell with it. I’ll just go!’ It was a clean pass, and Tommy used his head. We were just trying to race and maximize our points to get both Corvettes ahead of the BMW. We were successful in that.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“I’ve never been quite in anything like that before. You see a wreck like that at the start, and you think it’s going to be nasty. Cars start bouncing around and ricocheting everywhere and there is nowhere for anyone to go. I was off-throttle as the Level 5 car went into the wall. I thought for sure he was going to bounce back across. Immediately it was all being waved off. We came around and just sat there. No one knew what to do for the next 45 minutes. For the restart, I moved from the left side of the grid to the right side, and starting on that side is much tougher. You get such a bigger jump across the train tracks than on the left.”

On the starts the last few races: “There is something strange going on at the front of the grid with the way these races have been started. Someone is absolutely jumping the gun, and that’s making it unsafe for all of us. That’s a bit crazy.

More on the day: It’s pretty amazing that we were sitting in a wreck at Turn 4 – both cars – with others and somehow we’ve managed to pull a 1-2 out of that! It was one of those wacky races that you couldn’t take your eyes off of. You have to take every single one, and I’m very happy to take second in this one.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“It was a weird race, unfortunately. What can you say? It’s a tight street race and you can see what happens when one car gets turned around. Fortunately we missed all of it. There was a lot going on, and we’re happy to come home with some good points. Jan snookered me there at Turn 1. But that’s what he should do. We’re all here to race and win. I had to brake a little early because I was on the dirty line. But great day for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing.”

Top-five positions for both Compuware Corvettes on crowded streets of Baltimore

BALTIMORE (Aug. 30, 2013) – Corvette Racing will start its two Compuware Chevrolet

Corvette C6.Rs from the second and third rows of the GT grid for Saturday’s Grand Prix

of Baltimore. The positions are solid ones for Corvette Racing and Chevrolet, both of

which are leading in the American Le Mans Series’ team and manufacturer

championships.

Tommy Milner qualified the No. 4 Compuware Corvette third with a time of 1:30.007

(81.594 mph) around the 2.04-mile, 12-turn street circuit alongside Baltimore’s Inner

Harbor. Teammate Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Corvette ended the session fifth at

1:30.132 (81.480 mph).

Saturday’s race is the seventh round of the ALMS championship. Live online coverage

begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3. On Sunday, ABC’s coverage starts at noon ET.

“Baltimore is an exciting yet demanding venue,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet US Vice

President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The ALMS GT class is extremely

competitive so it will take the right combination of race strategy, smart and persistent

driving, and efficient pit stops to work our way to the front of the pack. Baltimore is a

critical race for the ALMS drivers’ and manufacturers’ standings.

“It’s great to have the support of so many Corvette owners in the Baltimore Corvette

Corral,” Campbell added, “along with Corvette owners and fans from around the world

as we work to defend the manufacturers, team and drivers championships in the ALMS

GT class.”

Indeed, Milner and Oliver Gavin entered the weekend leading the GT drivers’

championship. The duo placed second in last year’s race at Baltimore and is the only

pairing to win more than once in the class this season.

Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, stand fourth together in the championship, underwent

some drama following an engine issue in the day’s first practice. The No. 3 crew

changed the Corvette’s motor in less than two hours, and the car made the next session.

Bill Auberlen (BMW) was the fastest qualifier in class, followed by Joey Hand (BMW).

EDITORS: High-resolution images of Corvette Racing are available on the Team Chevy

media site for editorial use only.

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“What happened this morning was unfortunate, but luckily we didn’t lose that much time

in practice. It’s a shame that the guys had to change an engine instead of concentrating

on making the car go faster. But they did a fantastic job of getting it back out there for

the second practice. In qualifying, the car was pretty good. It had a little bit too much

understeer for me to really be able to have a shot at pole. I don’t know if we could have

caught the two BMWs but it is very close behind them. Usually you don’t have to deal

that much with traffic in qualifying. You have to make a quick decision – are you going to

fight to get by or give some time and create a big gap. What I can say is that it will be

worse tomorrow.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“In the end, I could have gone quicker were it not for traffic early. It is what it is. Third

place is good. Based on all the practice sessions and qualifying, it will be an incredible

race. I laid it all out there in qualifying. It’s so close that if I didn’t push that extra last little

bit, I would have been fifth or sixth and that puts us in a worse position for the race. In

this case, qualifying matters because the race matters, and because it’s hard to pass

getting the car up front is important. The car feels good and should be great for the

race.”

Baltimore Grand Prix (all times ET)

• • Warmup: 10:10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 31
• • Race: 3:45 p.m., Saturday Aug. 31

Baltimore: Watch It!

Friday, Aug. 30-Saturday, Aug. 31 (all times ET)

• • Race (Web): Live – 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31 (ESPN3)
• • Race (TV): Noon, Sunday, Sept. 1 (ABC)

ALMS GT Championship Standings

Driver Standings

1. 1. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 78
2. 2. Dirk Muller – 73
3. 3. Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goossens – 73
4. 4. Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 72
5. 5. Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin – 54

Team Standings

1. 1. Corvette Racing – 108
2. 2. BMW Team RLL – 84
3. 3. SRT Motorsports – 81
4. 4. Paul Miller Racing – 42
5. 5. CORE autosport – 32

Manufacturer Standings

1. 1. Chevrolet – 111
2. 2. BMW – 95
3. 3. SRT – 86
4. 4. Porsche – 71
5. 5. Ferrari – 69

Corvette Racing at Baltimore

Year: 2011

Class: GT

Drivers: Beretta/Milner; Gavin/Magnussen

Result: 7th; 3rd

Car: Corvette C6.R

Notes: Magnussen fastest race lap

Year: 2012

Class: GT

Drivers: Magnussen/Garcia; Gavin/Milner

Result: 6th; 2nd

Car: Corvette C6.R

Notes: Gavin pole, fastest race lap